Being an orderly sort of soul, in general I much prefer to go to a themed tasting, rather than a broad sweep across regions.  Comparison is a very powerful tool but I would rather limit the field and try to learn a bit more about an area or grower in depth.   Occasionally you get the best of both worlds, as happened at a recent Coe Vintners tasting, which took place at Home House, a private club in Portland Square.  Billed as a fine wine tasting, it certainly lived up to that with quality wines from Champagne and Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, a few Italians and Spaniards and even the occasional Australian.  But the star of the show was undoubtedly Olivier Humbrecht of whom more anon. 

In the general tasting some tables really stood out: 

Sumptuous Champagne from Pannier and from Dampierre.  I particularly enjoyed 1999 Pannier Egerie and the corresponding non-vintage Rosé.  The latter has a lovely raspberry and strawberry nose, balanced fruit and refreshment, delicious.  The 1999 has good freshness alongside some interesting, mushroomy tones, a nice weight in the mouth  I was less enamoured of the Pannier Blanc de Noir, ie made as white wine from the juice of black grapes. It was certainly distinctive with yeasty, even doughy smells to the fore.  Dampierre was also excellent, especially the Family Reserve Grand Cru, 2000: toasty, hazelnuts, good fruit and very long.  Altogether much better value than the Taittinger Comtes des Champagnes, white of 1998 (still tasted rather closed) and the rosé of 2002.  Of course if someone else has the wines in their cellar and the patience, that might be another matter entirely …

I also tried the Barolo and Barbaresco from Giacosa Fratelli, not least because I had bought a mixed case of these for a forthcoming tasting.  Overall conclusion was that they really need time to get out of their rather rustic youth (the two basic wines) though the 2005 Barolo Bussia has already has some perfume to offer.   A tasting in 2014-20 anyone?  This was even more the case with promising red Burgundy, eg PC Clos de Thorey Monopole, Nuit St Georges, 2006 from Antonin Rodet – I could taste the youthful acidity hours later!  But in ten years time it will be wonderful. 

No need for delayed gratification, however, with the wines of Zind-Humbrecht, though they too will develop with age.  Olivier Humbrecht was showing a great range of wines, 13 in all.  I concentrated on the ones that were new to me, especially from the Clos Windsbuhl vineyard.  The firm’s comment is:

“The Clos Windsbuhl is, with the Rangen vineyard, the least precocious site that we cultivate on the estate. The higher altitude, the old rocky calcareous soil, its location near the forest all participate to create a slow ripening process. Often criticized in the past for this characteristic, we think that on the contrary, it helps the grapes to keep a structure based on acidity and not alcohol, and also that the vines have more time to ripen the grape physiologically.

Humbrecht explained further that the vineyard is around 300 metres above sea level, 100m higher and so cooler than most, and that it has a mixed history.  Before they bought it, the older owners had worked for quality (only really good vineyards had names historically in Alsace) but then there was neglect, overplanting, overproduction in recent times.  Having acquired it on the basis of its ancient reputation, they have grubbed up the new vines but kept the old ones. 

Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl 2007: made with the fruit of the old vines, this is an amazing combination of crisp fruit and structure in the mouth. Wow! 

Gewürztraminer Clos Windsbuhl Vendanges Tardive 2005 – rich, dense, even tending to oily texture from late picked picked grapes, medium sweet but with good acidity, absolutely delicious. 

Another vineyard featured was the Grand Cru Rangen de Thann, very steep (to the point that it has to be ploughed using a winch) and South facing.  In addition to the two Pinot Gris I missed in the excitement (2005, 2001), there was:

Riesling Grand Cru Rangen de Thann 2007, a superb complex nose of honey, nuts and something herby/herbaceous, rounded in the mouth, melons, ripe fruit in general, even pineapple, with a refreshing finish.  Excellent. 

I finished the Zind-Humbrecht table with Pinot Gris Heimbourg Sélection de Grains Nobles 2005, a wine with well over 100 grams of residual sugar per litre – a huge, sweet sticky, but with great marmaladely flavours and counterbalancing acidity, and great persistence. 

Chi non avesse avuto occasione di partecipare alla festa annuale organizzata dall’Accademia della Costina di Coarezza ha un’ottima occasione per rifarsi: venerdì 4 dicembre l’enopub gastronomico Il Barbaresco di Legnano dedica un’intera serata alla prelibata specialità, La grande abbuffata di costine (con relativo evento su Facebook). Si tratta di una vera e propria gara di resistenza: la quota di iscrizione è di 10 euro a persona, chi riuscirà a mangiare più costine di tutti vincerà un salame bresciano e un trofeo commemorativo! Sempre al Barbaresco, dal 2 al 13 dicembre, un intero menu composto da piatti a base di maiale.

After Brunello with Banfi, Barbaresco and much more with Angelo Gaja … where does one start?  This was simply one of the greatest experiences you can have in Italian or world wine, laid on by Decanter magazine as part of its Fine Wine Encounter.  But it was really two related experiences, with an underlying connection: Gaja the man and the Gaja wines. 

Angelo Gaja, the man

Now 69, Gaja has spent a lifetime promoting his wine, his village, Barbaresco, Piemonte, Italy, his family, in other words, all the things that have become the Gaja brand.  It’s now a bravura performance, delivered with utmost conviction and carries all before him.  On arrival he nearly looked his age.  We had met him briefly at his Bolgheri winery in the height of summer where he had looked immaculate, sun tanned, every inch the successful man on his own (expensively irrigated) turf. In London on a cold and windy day, he started quietly, if securely, apologizing for his English (which is excellent), going through the basics of his story which he has told hundreds of times before.  As he warmed to his theme the confidence grew visibly. He spoke lucidly and passionately for an hour and a half about the things he cares most about. By the end he had his large audience eating (drinking?) out of his hand and received a huge ovation. 

And what is the secret of the Gaja magic? 

First and foremost the family: both personally and professionally.  This is the classic tale of the family business, with Angelo’s children (now mainly grown up) being the fifth generation in the wine business.  The company’s small brochure has an evocative photo from a hundred years ago of the second generation of commercial winemakers, the Angelo of 1866-1944 and his son, Giovanni, today’s Angelo’s father.   There is also a fine portrait of Clotilde Rey, the matriarch (1880-1961).  Gaja’s delivery is punctuated with great humour: Giovanni, he says, the less forceful of the couple, had only two choices with Clotilde – to kill her or to follow her! So Clothilde was the driving force, though Giovanni set a standard that the firm has lived by: poor vintages should not be bottled but sold for a song as open wine.  While hardly revolutionary in some circles, this was remarkable in Italy at the time, especially when the climate and the state of wine-making was only delivering 7 decent vintages out of 10.  But Giovanni compensated for this hard choice by charging the highest prices in Piemonte for the successful years – higher than the famous Barolo.  The Gajas don’t lack conviction or business sense. 

Today’s Angelo took that further, though of course he didn’t talk about his own contribution.  He studied the methods of the French fine wine trade and put them to good use in conservative, rural Piemonte:

• experimenting with French barriques, even French grape varieties
• working with the local star grape, Nebbiolo, utterly convinced that it could produce one of the world’s great wines
• producing single vineyard ‘crus’ in an area that had never had them – and then charging unheard of prices for the rare bottles. 
• finally, he put himself about and created single handedly a market for top quality Barbaresco.  Its easy to forget now that before him, Barbaresco was unknown. 

The full story is told in Edward Steinberg’s The vines of San Lorenzo (Slow Food Editore 1992, updated 2006), an outstanding book, to which I will return in another post. 

The story of the marketing is remarkable.   Gaja showed a slide of the labels of 1937 and 1978. On the

1978 label not only has the fussiness of earlier times gone, what is prominent is the family name, not the appellation.  Once you have learnt to recognise the name Gaja, then you can ask about whether its Barbaresco or Barolo.   

He also attends to small things that make a difference.  The brochure is functional and factual but it consistently gives a pronunciation guide. ‘Guy-ah’ he has told English speakers to say. If you can pronounce the Italian or dialectic name on the bottle, that itself gives confidence. 

The Gaja discourse covers a multitude of topics:

• the family history, especially if you include long time winemaker, Guido Rivella, as an honorary member; 
• his philosophy of healthy living, eating and drinking: wine is like food, you need a partner or a friend to share it with, and then relax on the health issues;
• his line on tackling the danger of alcohol: we must persuade governments to distinguish naturally made alcohols from spirits; if anyone can carry off this argument, he can;
• when to visit Piemonte (after the truffle fair, ‘a disaster’, ie mid-November to December or spring);
• why he didn’t enter a joint  venture with Robert Mondavi, who he praised as a great man.  It wasn’t just the presence lawyers at the initial meetings.  Rather, to have  a good marriage you need complementary interests, companionship and … sex.  ‘And in size terms, you Mondavi are an elephant and I am a mosquito.  Sex between an elephant and a mosquito? Well, it would not give much pleasure to the elephant and could be worse for the mosquito!’

The Gaja wines

The one thing he didn’t talk about was the wines.  He flatters his audience – you people know about wine, you have a good wine culture, and I don’t need to try to explain the inexplicable.  The metaphors continue to flow.  Cabernet Sauvignon as John Wayne to Marcello Mastroianni’s Nebbiolo – one dominates the room while the one is beckons you over to the corner.  While he spoke the wines of his four production areas await our attention, completely un-introduced.  So while we are treated to Gaja the orator, in front of us are an array of great – and on this occasion I mean great – wines. 

Gaia & Rey, Langhe DOC, 1994 – named after Gaja’s daughter (Gaia Gaja if you will) and the matriarch Clothilde Rey, this is 100% Chardonnay, planted back in 1978.  As he says, you will all be identify this wine, it’s white. But what a white: with 15 years of ageing, it’s between yellow and gold in colour, a complex blend of aromas from slight, residual oak, then melons and apples, dried fruit, nuttiness.  An hour later the nose is dominated by powerful caramel tones, remarkable. And that’s just wine number 1 of 12. 

Camarcanda, Bolgheri DOC, 2006 – the top wine of Gaja’s most recent estate of the same name, on the Tuscan coast.   Mostly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s very promising, with rich fruit, mainly blackcurrants and vanilla.  Highly drinkable now, many years ahead of it for development.   The care taken over the landscaping of this estate was remarkable – hiding most of the winery underground and and landscaping with old, transplanted olive trees – but that’s another story. 

There followed three wines, Brunellos, from the Gaja estate in Montalcino, Tuscany:  Pieve San Restituta, the property he bought after not having gone in with Mondavi.  First the multi-vineyard Rennina, 2004, a recent great vintage.  By comparison with the modern style of Banfi (see previous post), a subtle combination of dark cherries, cloves and tobacco, smooth in the mouth, characteristically high acidity, very good.  Then two vintages from the single vineyard, Sugarille (that’s Suh-gah-REE-lay):

Sugarille Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2001, followed by the 1996.  The latter is in its prime: powerful, complex, velvety, dark fruit, perfectly balanced and smooth.  In between these two vintages they declassified the whole of 20o2 (too wet) and 2003 (too hot) …

All these wines were really the grand warm-up act for the Nebbiolo based wines that followed.  Tasted in a slightly odd order, they went Barbaresco, single vineyard Barolo, single vineyard Barbaresco.  I suppose the point was: Barbaresco, where it all started; then Barolo; then back to the finest wines, the single vineyard Barbaresco. 

Barbaresco DOCG 2004, 1997, 1964 – after the Brunellos, the change of aromas was dramatic. With Nebbiolo you are now in the perfume department, rather than at the fruit counter or even in the garden centre.  The 2004 is perfumed but only slightly so, refreshing, with great acidity and really very young despite its five years.  The 1997 is more like it – soaring aromas of roses, followed by liquorice and balsamic notes, silky, stunningly good.  And this is the ‘basic’ wine.   1964, pictured left, is anything but a museum piece.  In the mouth it is still lively, with a refreshing finish and very, very long.  The nose is remarkable: the obvious wood notes have long gone, replaced by truffles, roses and other flowers, forest floor.  Whether you prefer the 12 year old or the 45 year is really a matter of taste but they are both remarkable wines. 

Having put Barbaresco on the map, Gaja turned to the more famous Barolo region. The family bought in grapes until 1961, but then decided only to make wine from their own estates, establishing complete control.  They bought the vineyard in 1988 and named it Sperss (‘nostalgia’ in the dialect).  The two wines tasted were the 2004 and the 1995.  These immediately showed the effect of ageing, the former showing a very perfumed nose, small berries, some youngish wood, a rich texture, edgy but gorgeous.  By contrast the 14 year old no longer leads with fruit but with the classic ‘tar and roses’ combination, very complex, liquorish and mushrooms to the fore.  Rich and supple in the mouth, outstanding. 

And finally to the famous single vineyard Barbaresco, Sorì San Lorenzo, the young wine of 2004 and the mature 1989.  The ‘trouble’ with this sort of tasting is not so much the embarrassment of riches but just running out of words.   The 2004 is already scoring in the mushroom/truffle register but with elegant, red fruit.  1989 is darker in tone, rich and supremely elegant, but still lively and highly drinkable.  Sumptuous, life affirming wines. 

The lasting impression of these wines was of great perfume, lovely clear fruit, increasing complexity with age, balance, supreme poised and highly drinkable.  They never stop being real food wines, though it would have to be some feast to match this sublime quality. 

After narrowly avoiding a meeting with Brown Owl and the Brownies downstairs I gladly made my way up to a room full of the welcoming faces of Glass Half Fulham wine club members. Crowding into the small office around a long table laden with Parmesan and crackers sat a selection of Fulham’s finest wine lovers.
On only my third time of attending Glass Half Fulham, I was again impressed by the amount of work that goes into preparing for these tastings. TH excelled himself with a fantastic selection of Italian red wines and plenty of back ground knowledge on the lot.

TH kicked things off with a wine from Veneto. The 2006 Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference, Amarone della Valpolicella (Sainsbury’s, £14.69) is a wine of unusual origins. Once picked, the grapes are left out to dry, concentrating the sugar and flavours. All the sugar is then fermented into alcohol, resulting in a big dry red wine. At 14.5% alcohol, we all noticed the legs on this wine and it proved an interesting one. With raspberry, cherry and kiwi on the nose and tea, vanilla, raisins and herbal notes on the palate; the general consensus was that it was pleasant but possibly not worth the price.

We then moved onto Tuscany and the town of Montepulciano, where we sampled the 2004 Massimo Romeo, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Berry Bros. & Rudd, £15.70). There were mutterings of this wine being corked but we all felt that underneath it probably was rather good. Chocolate, cold tea, marzipan and a fruity strawberry sweetness were all flavours that came through. Rabbit, for the second time this evening, was a strong suggestion for a compatible dish (it was suggested for the Amarone too).

Chianti is one of the most famous and important wine regions in Italy and Querciabella is known to be one of the region’s best producers. Happily this is where we ventured next. The 2006 Querciabella, Chianti Classico (Waitrose, £16.99) is a blend of 95% Sangiovese with a small 5% addition of Cabernet Sauvignon. The intense dark fruit, rosemary, lavender and stony mineral aromas somewhat contradicted the ginger and tobacco flavours that we found along with more dark fruit on the palate. With plenty of tannin and a good structure, this wine was enjoyed by all and recommended by one to accompany a juicy roast lamb.

The wine which followed was voted a big hit. The 2004 Argiano, Brunello di Montalcino (Negozio Classica, £38.99), like all Brunellos, is made up entirely of the Sangiovese grape variety. This is a brilliant example with suggestions of salty seaweed, vanilla, cloves and Christmas spices named as a few of the flavours presented by this wine. From a great vintage, with good length, aging potential and well-balanced acidity and tannins this wine was voted the evening’s favourite.

Supertuscans, as they used to be called, were wines which did not follow the strict regulations of the DOC and DOCG so had to be registered as table wines despite their excellent quality. These wines are now labelled IGT and recognised in their own classification system, where experimentation is encouraged not penalised. The rather pricey 2004 Rocca di Montegrossi ‘Geremia’, Toscana IGT (Handford Wines, £31.95) was sadly not rated as a favourite by the group. It did however, have interesting plum, prune, fig and liquorice aromas to compliment the high acidity and herbal, especially mint, flavours on the palate.

Moving onto Piedmont in the far north west of the country, we reached the home of Nebbiolo – the grape grower’s nightmare and the drinkers delight. Nebbiolo is a grape variety that does not seem to want to grow anywhere outside of the region or in anything other than the flawless conditions which Piedmont possesses. The 2006 Cantina del Pino, Barbaresco (Waitrose, £24.99) was noted by nearly everyone for its rather unusual but not entirely unpleasant hints of cherry yogurt! Along with that we spotted aromas of rose, grass, peach melba (continuing the yogurt theme) and cola bottle sweets… Perhaps it was because the evening was drawing to an end but the wine still seemed to go down extremely well with the group.

The final wine we sampled was from the renowned Barolo region. Barolo is a slightly cooler area than Barbaresco and the slower ripening of the grapes helps give the wine its massive potential to age well. The 2005 Paolo Conterno, Barolo (Negozio Classica, £39.99) showed flavours of freshly cut grass, mint, camomile, basil and ripe red fruit and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. We all agreed however, that this wine would be much better in 5 – 10 years time after it had undergone further aging in the bottle to bring out these delightful flavours further.

A big well done and huge thanks to TH for organising the tasting and for hosting it so well. All that is left to say now is – bring on the Christmas party!

(report by SE)

A tad late at Malpensa in Milano, we still got to Vietti in Castiglione Falletto before closing time.  And althought we did not get to taste either the Lazzarito nor the La Crena, we experienced enough to understand why Vietti is knocking on the door of the really great ones.  The surprise of the tasting was their 05 Barbaresco.  It does not get much press due to their other great wines, but a well above average Barbaresco at a reasonable price (Note: two days later we ate at their neighboring restaurant Le Torri, and accompanying great food was the immacculate La Crena from 04).

Bruno Giacosa was up the next morning.  A true champagne breakfast it was, with their Spumante at 0900 hrs followed by their Roero Arneis, Barolos and Barbarescos. Highlight here was the 89 Red Label Barbaresco Asili. A privilege to have tasted. Truly.

From the 400 000 bottle production and industry-like facility in Neive, we went to Gianfranco Allessandria in Monforte.  Almost the opposite on the scale in appearance, but not so with their wines.  The 05 San Giovanni Barolo is as good as any they’ve produced, and the Vittoria Barbera d’Alba is up there with the best Barberas.

Other than the aforementioned La Torri restaurant in Castiglione Falletto, we ate at Fior di Sale in Dogliani, Osteria Veglio and More e Macine in La Morra, and La Libera in Alba. the 3 ladder eateries for the first time.  Fior di Sale was just like our first visit this summer, just more crowded.  Knocking on Michelin’s door for sure. Osteria Veglio was everything as advertised, and if in Alba you should not miss the La Libera.  As for More e Macine it’s almost like a cafe, but theirTiramisu beat the ones we had the other Osterias and restaurants

.

Top wine:  04 La Crena from Vietti for lunch at La Torri. Best eatery: Fior di Sale.  Best tiramisu: More e Macine.

Det blir faktiskt alldeles tyst i källaren på Lidingö. Pratet, skratten, klangen från kuporna som hamnar för nära varandra på det trånga bordet, tolv människors uppsluppenhet och gemenskapsljud dör som när man stänger av köksfläkten. Det sjudande rummet stillnar i en samtidig inåtvänd vördnad, en plötslig ödmjukhet.

Sakta tar tvånget att dela upplevelsen tillbaka initiativet:

-Jävlar… jävlar…

Ingen av oss visste väl riktigt vad vi stod inför den här kvällen. En del erfarenhet av barolo och barbaresco med lite ålder på fanns det, men en föreställning med tio flaskor från 1971 och biljetter på första raden var svår att föreställa sig. För mig som sätter nebbiolo högst av allt var drömmarna guldskimrande – samtidigt som bubblan kunde spricka med en smäll som skulle höras ända till Castiglione Falletto.

Nektaren som fick tyst på de tolv dök upp redan i första flighten. Ni har redan läst/läst: Enrico Giovannini Moresco skördade sent i Pajorégården i Treiso, höll skördeuttaget lågt redan 1971 – och bjöd Angelo Gaja på en slurk. Kejsaren av Piemonte köpte sedan loss marken av Moresco, och vi har turen att känna Niklas som finkammar Europa och plockar hem en original-Pajoré från 1971. Doften är lätt men tät, spetsigt fokuserad fräsch rödfrukt, utmognad men med en hel del oförstörd jordgubbig barnacharm. Lägg till lite sojamognad, muscovado och lite motstånd från sötkärv rönnbärsgelé, och tryck på paus.

Men det är i munnen som Moresco slänger sitt tunga sammetstäcke över dussinet vinhundar i källaren. Perfekt struktur, obeskrivlig munkänsla – kanske den finaste jag har känt, kanske bara på en nivå där man slutar jämföra. Är fruktkärnan åtta år gammal, eller 38? Intensitet, kraft och elegans i samma centiliter. Ålderssötman ger jordgubbarna guldkant, den där rönnbärsgelén kompletterar. Svansen klingar ut i mineralitet pyntad med torkade rosor och en droppe tjära och viskar kvar en minut senare. Consummatum est.

Ändå gick det att argumentera för andra viner som kvällens guldmedaljör. Pio Cesares sjuttioetta var i toppform, kryddig och barrskogstonad, med fantastisk frukt i munnen, underbara tanniner och arkitektur över all kritik. Kicken av rökig tjära i eftersmaken lyste upp slutet som en fackla. Bara den där gudomliga munkänslan avgör för Moresco i mitt minne. Eller varför inte Marcarinis vin, från rikfruktiga Brunate i vackra La Morra: tuff, ungdomligt efter 38 år, med en härlig blommighet i näsan och ett fantastiskt fruktspektrum från hallon till plommon.

Jag kunde förstås rabbla upp alla tio, kanske minus några TCA-dräpta. Men jag måste ge plats åt några glas ur den långa raden före och efter den piemontesiska dekalogen. Som Kellers 2007 Hubacker: sensationellt fin Rheinhessenriesling, lång, lång smak av utvalda äpplen och mineral i ett perfekt bygge. När jag sade 2001 på en chianti från 1990 var det lätt att spika producenten, för det är bara Castell’ in Villa i hela Toskana som utvecklas så långsamt. Giacomo Conterno bekräftade tesen att de bästa klarade av även min hackårgång 2003; Cascina Francia hade generösa jordgubbar, framträdande kryddighet och drag av cassis, med kalkiga citrussyror för att möta den dominanta sötfrukten. Det blev ingen Monfortino 2003, och Cascina Francia tackade och tog emot materialet.

Vin nummer 22: Spetsad druvmust (tänk pineau des Charentes eller Juras macvin), pomerans och andra julkryddor, russin; mer specifikt den färska doften ur ett nyöppnat Sunmaidpaket. Smeksamt i munnen med stort uttryck, tätt och druvigt, mycket sött. Slarviga anteckningar. Rätt lätt och smidigt ändå för ett fortifierat vin, kanske grenachebaserat från Roussillon?

Nä - 1982 Quinta do Noval Nacional. Tack och godnatt.

//anders

PS: Tack Niklas för bilderna. Och just det – några liter nebbiolo på 40-strecket, ett dussin bonusviner toppat med en osannolik Nacional, absurt goda leverspett, musslor och din källares vanliga varma camaraderie. Mm, tack för det också.

PS 2: Inte länkad i texten: Winepunker.

Il 21 e 22 novembre, nel cuore delle Langhe, “Le Loro Maestà – Il Nebbiolo e Le Pinot Noir” ospiterà un originale confronto fra Langa e Borgogna. Per la prima volta 20 fra i migliori Domaine di Borgogna si presenteranno in Italia al fianco di 20 dei più rappresentativi produttori di Barolo e Barbaresco.

Per informazioni:
www.leloromaesta.it
Telefono +39 0125 633359 (orario ufficio)

Ufficio Stampa:
Gheusis Srl info@gheusis.com
Telefono: +39 0422 928954
Fax: +39 0422 928245

What better time to start writing about wine then when you’ve just finished tasting roughly 18 wines a day over 6 glorious days?

Having recently completed Level 3 of the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) with James Cluer at Fine Vintage, I have to give my props to some of the wine in this ‘Random Top 20(ish) Wines’ we were fortunate enough to taste while “studying”… listed in no particular order, according to my personal preference, with price point estimates (BC, Canada) and a few scribbles between the drooling, Ooo-ing and Ahhh-ing. Most of these, let it be known, I simply could not merely ‘taste’; a few slipped right down. A lot of these are wines you may want to break the bank on when the occasion presents itself, like, for instance, a quiet Tuesday evening at home. Why not?

WHITES:

1. Domaine Weinbach, Riesling Schlossberg, Alsace Grand Cru 2005 $70 – crisp and beautiful – spend the dough on this one, it will not disappoint.
2. Vinvent Girardin, Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts Burgundy 2006 $99 – oh-so-much-goodness. Melts in your mouth. Drink now.
3. Charles Heidsieck Cuvée 1995 $200 – Heavenly way to start the morning.
4. Zilliken Riesling Auslese Mosel (‘Auslese’ = German Late Harvest = sweet = FAB) 1995 $58
5. Muenchberg Grand Cru Alsace Riesling 2004 $104
6. Nicolas Joly Savennières Les Clos Sacrés (Les Vieux Clos) 2006 $47 – Bio-Dynamic
7. Château de Fesles Bonnezeaux 2003 $65 for the HALF L.
8. Château Dereszla Tokaji 2003 $30
9. Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Alsace 2004 $58
10. Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Kabinett 1999 $26 – What value!
(Bonus Number 11: blanc de blancs Champagne 1999 $85)

REDS:

1. Alentejo Incognito 2003 $67
2.Torres Salmos Priorat 2005 $35
3. Pio Cesare Barbaresco 2004 $114
4. Smith Woodhouse Tawny Port 1986 $65
5. Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 2002 $110
6. Château Beauséjour 1er Cru Saint Emilion 1998 $70
7. Château Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2001 $125 (All 13 grapes!)
8. Guigal Saint Joseph 2004 $110 (If I had to pick just one, god forbid, I can still taste this one…)
9. Felton Road Pinot Noir $110
10. Luce, IGT Super Tuscan, Montalcino 2005 $100

I’d be happy to expand on the what’s?/huh’s?/who’s-a? on any of the above if you’s like to know more.

Scary. Looking at my calendar I realize that the next IVSA event is scheduled for November 9th! So, before I get a glut of new wine notes to comment here, I will go back to those I had in the September event. And since I already posted notes on the whites I enjoyed, let’s now visit the tintos I found memorable. You may notice that mostly I am covering Italian wines but given the size of the IVSA event and the number of products (and the number of people you stop by to say hi and chat) there was little room for anything else.

• Let’s start with one of my favorites of that busy evening. Enoteca Bacco brings a truly delicious Negroamaro varietal, the 2006 Verve IGT from Salento. Pure expression of fruit, direct and ample, with dark overtones and really fun to drink. Not surprisingly, a previous incarnation of this wine, the Verve 2004, collected gold medals left, right and center. Battle the incoming November blues with Verve matching grilled blue fish like mackerel, sardines or spicy dishes (click on links for recipes). Just under 30 dollars, this listed product is available at LDB stores.

• Tempus Malbec 2007. Under 18 dollars, I fully enjoyed this uncomplicated, fruity, filling Malbec brought to us by MKR Importers. A no brainer for roasted beef, grilled meats, sausage in a bun with friends, etc. Just make sure you don’t eat your friends. Ha ha.

• When I had the Anghelos IGT 2006 I did understand the reason for the name: Angelic. I recommend this wine with absolutely NO reservations to those who enjoy a balsamic nose followed by a meaty, fleshy chunk of fruity acidity and elegant tannins that do not let go. Cabernet Sauvignon, Montepulciano and Sangiovese are blended in this superb broth hailing from the Marche region. Soft enough to accompany a Pasta Fagioli (pasta and beans in tomato sauce) but will stand up to an Osso Bucco. Wine Quest importers hit it right on the nose with this vino tinto. Under 40 dollars, this is the kind of wine you want to kick off the cool part of the year in full form.

• Fontanabianca means “white fountain”, which is the name of the winery that makes the Sori Burdin 2004 Barbaresco. This broth is potenza (potence) in the full meaning of the term. Nebbiolo grapes in grand style, with a tremendous aromatic profile and an equally tremendous body and tannic structure. Robert Parker, in his flowery-paralegal style calls this wine “authoritative”. I don’t know how a wine can be authoritative but I surely like the adjective here. Close to 90 dollars, granted not a wine for everyday consumption, but make sure you have a bottle around for that special occasion. And give me a shout when you do; I’d love to have this tinto again.

•Di Majo Norante is a producer that always delivers quality at affordable prices, without compromising the quality and more importantly, the sense of terroir. Their Sangiovese and Ramitello are good examples of this, but here I want to mention the Prugnolo del Molise IGT 2004. A delicious, easygoing yet flavorful Sangiovese. Light and playful but balanced and structured enough to be taken seriously. This product, brought by Style Wines retails for less than 22 dollars.

•The last two wines are both represented by Liquid Art Fine Wines. The Tenuta Sette Ponti ‘Crognolo’ IGT 2006 is a Sangiovese Merlot blend from Toscana. At around 40 dollars a bottle, it merited a 92 pt score by Wine Spectator (08/31/08). Full bodied, concentrated, tannic, warm, with cherry and earthy aromas and flavors, this is a delicious, powerful wine.

I closed the night with the Domaine de Cristia Chateauneuf-du-Pape AC, 2006. I knew it would be my last tasting of the night. The lights had already flickered off a couple of times and the Liquid Art reps were already putting their gear away. I could not but ask for a second pouring, being late and feeling like I deserved a break. I savored every drop of the Cristia. Elated and in awe, I only jotted down

depth suavidad elegance long red fruit rocks beautiful alcohol integration A

Enough said.

Hasta la proxima.

The rain just didn’t want to stop falling as Étienne, John, and I made our way from Austin to Dallas yesterday for business meetings and a tasting of Étienne’s family’s wines. My friends and family know that I am a very cautious, prudent driver, even to the point that some will tease me. It was one of those bad Texas rain storms, a “white-knuckle” tempest as some would say, and so I maintained a pretty steady 60 mph as we headed north on I-35. It wasn’t long after my habitual pit-stop at Italy, Texas, about 30 minutes outside of Dallas, that a gold Mercedes spun out of control about 150 yards ahead of us, bouncing off the median divider and sliding lengthwise across the highway directly in our path. I swear, and John, who was in the front passenger seat, told me that he had the same experience: everything seemed to appear in slow motion, despite the celerity with which events unfolded. I didn’t want to break too hard because the road was wet. We were in the middle of three lanes. My instinct told me to swerve right to avoid the oncoming car but I glanced in my right-side mirror and saw there was an 18-wheeler behind me in the far-right lane. It seemed that we were going to collide with the Mercedes head-on.

In that moment, I thought I was going to die.

But then a miracle happened: the Mercedes seemed to bounce off of the front bumper of my Hyundai, like a billiard ball, and it kept moving, colliding with the truck that had passed me on the right. It then flew back across the freeway in front of us and finally stopped moving when it hit the median divider. By this point, I had managed to stop my car.

We were lucky to be alive. The driver of the Mercedes was alive and conscious and the emergency team arrived swiftly and took him away.

The right side of my bumper had been dislodged but a tap put it back into place. There’s barely a scratch on my car. A miracle.

Beyond the adrenaline rush, Étienne, John, and I were 100% fine.

Later, that night, following long meetings and a tasting, Alfonso hosted us all for dinner at his house. We paired his chipotle-chili-marinated, grill-fired pork and baked potatoes with the Étienne’s Domaine de Montille 2006 Volnay 1er cru Les Mitans and a Produttori del Barbaresco 2001 Barbaresco Pora. Étienne told me with a big smile, “you can write on your blog that I love Barbaresco!”

We were lucky to be alive.

We got back to our hotel around 10 p.m. and retired and I was finally able to call Tracie B, who shared the wonderful news that her childhood friend Jennifer had posted our engagement photos on her blog. (Click the photo above to see them all, if you like.)

I don’t know that everything happens for a reason, and even though I believe in God, I’m not sure there is a divine plan. I do know that I love Tracie B with all my heart and all my soul and the joy that she has brought into my life is the greatest miracle anyone could wish for. To imagine my life without her is to imagine a life without meaning, direction, or purpose. I can’t say that “my life passed before my eyes” in the moment of the crash. All I could think about was how I’ve finally arrived at this moment after a life that has certainly been interesting but never entirely fulfilled: I have the love of the sweetest, most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, I have my health and my mind, both of our families are with us and healthy and soon will share the joy of our union. And there was even one of Tracie B’s savory oatmeal cookies left in my wine bag for breakfast this morning…

Il vino diventa protagonista al Maniero della Contrada La Flora, in via Ciro Menotti a Legnano: da novembre a febbraio la storica contrada legnanese organizza, in collaborazione con l’Enopub Il Barbaresco, quattro serate di degustazione condotte dal sommelier Gabriele Rampinini e tutte basate sulle “sfide dirette” tra due o più vitigni. L’esordio giovedì 19 novembre con “Nebbiolo vs. Barbera“, poi il 10 dicembre toccherà a “Vini di mare e di montagna“, il 14 gennaio 2010 ai “Vitigni internazionali” e il 18 febbraio all’appassionante scontro “Sangiovese vs. Aglianico“.
Il costo della partecipazione alle singole serate è di 20 euro, mentre l’intero pacchetto di 4 degustazioni costa 75 euro. Per informazioni contattare la Contrada La Flora allo 0331-542989 o l’Enopub Il Barbaresco allo 0331-459630.

Winter Vineyard Scene, Bolgheri (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

Text and photos ©Tom Hyland

This past week I conducted a class at Perman Wine Selections in Chicago that included some of Italy’s finest and most famous wine types. I dubbed the class “Italy’s Killer B’s”; the wines tasted were examples of Brunello, Bolgheri, Barbera, Barbaresco and Barolo. 

These are classic reds and I wanted to taste out various styles of these wines along with different vintages and see how these wines develop in the bottle. Starting with Brunello, we had the 2004 Poggio di Sotto and the 2001 Fossacolle. Both are small estates of very high quality and their wines showed quite well. This was especially true of the Poggio di Sotto, which offered explosive fruit aromas and great concentration. This is a traditional producer that uses only large casks (botti grandi) to age their Brunello. The praise for this wine by the class members was unanimous; for me it is an exceptional Brunello that should age well for another 12-15 years. I think it is one of the finest of all the bottlings of Brunello from the excellent 2004 vintage.

The 2001 Fossacolle also showed very well, with plenty of fruit and a nice earthiness in the finish. This is a producer that mixes modern winemaking with traditional, using both large and small oak for aging. The owner of this estate, Sergio Marchetti, used to sell grapes to Banfi, which is located across the road; today, he keeps those grapes for his own wine. Look for this 2001 Brunello to be at its best in 10-12 years.

BOLGHERI

Next came two wines from Campo alla Sughera in Bolgheri. What makes Bolgheri so unique among Italy’s wine zones is the fact that Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot are the principal ones planted here instead of inidgenous varieties. While there is some Sangiovese in Bolgheri, this is a Tuscan wine area not dominated by that grape. 

These two wines from this underrated estate showed quite well; the “Adeo” is a medium-full blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot that has ample oak with elegant tannins and beautiful acidity. This 2007 bottling ($40 retail) will drink well for 5-7 years. The “Arnione”, a Bolgheri Superiore, is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot. Deeper in color  and richer on the palate than the previous wine, this is quite rich with youthful, elegant tannins and a round, flavorful finish. This 2005 bottling is quite impressive and at $80 retail is a nice alternative to many bottlings of Bolgheri Superiore from other estates that cost well over $100 per bottle.

BARBERA

While the typical Barbera from Piemonte is a medium-bodied, slightly spicy red with very little tannins and lively acidity that makes for a pleasant food wine, there are examples of this variety that are quite special. For the past two decades, doznes of producers in Asti have been focusing on riper, more deeply extracted wines that are aged in small oak barrels. These “serious” bottlings of Barbera d’Asti are quite different from the traditional bottlings of this variety.

As for Barbera d’Alba, most producers still make bottlings that are more like the wines their parents made. Yet at least one producer concentrates on ultra special examples of Barbera. At Vietti, winemaker Luca Currado produces two bottlings from the Scarrone vineyard at his estate; a normale and a Vigna Vecchia (old vine). As the vineyard was planted in the 1920s, even the normale is made from grapes that are 70-75 years of age, while the Vigna Vecchia is truly special, it is made from the oldest part of the vineyard, from vines that are 80-85 years of age. 

I tasted out the 2004 bottling and the wine is outstanding with deep purple color (as though it had just been bottled) and aromas of ripe plum and blackberry. Full-bodied, this is simply delicious and the finish is ultra smooth with very light tannins and very good acidity. It’s a real crowd pleaser (everyone at the tasting loved it) and Craig Perman, owner of the store, told me he thought it was a “fun wine to drink.” I loved his comment, as at the end of the day, statistics and points realy don’t matter; it’s about what wines taste the best. (You’ll not have much luck finding the 2004, but the 2006 and recently released 2007 bottlings of this wine may be available in your market. As you might imagine, this is a very limited bottling and is expensive – around $80 – but it is quite an experience!)

Vineyards in the Barolo zone looking towards La Morra (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

BARBARESCO/ BAROLO

Our final “B” wines in this class were Barbaresco and Barolo, both made exclusively from Nebbiolo. Both wines are produced from vineyards near the city of Alba in the province of Cuneo in Piemonte; Barbaresco from three towns east of Alba and Barolo from eleven towns south of Alba. 

Barbaresco is generally more approachable upon release than Barolo, as the soils here are younger than those from Barolo and thus yield wines with less firm tannins. Everything is relative of course, as even a simple Barbaresco tends to drink well for 5-7 years after its vintage, while the best single vineyard offerings are enjoyable 15-20 years after release. Barolo on the other hand often ages well past its 20th birthday, while a simple bottling blended from several vineyards is often at is best 7-10 years after the vintage.

For Barbaresco, we tasted out two bottlings from the famous producer Ceretto; the current 2006 “Asij” and the 2001 “Bricco Asili” were the choices. The Asij is a lighter style that is a wonderful introduction to Barbaresco; it is a blend of grapes from Asili and another Ceretto holding, Bernadot in Treiso as well as other vineyards. This 2006 had the textbook orange peel, caraway and sandalwood aromas that I love so much about Barbaresco! This should drink well for the next 5-7 years – it’s also very reasonable priced at $45.

The 2001 “Bricco Asili” offered the wonderful balasamic aromas you get in older bottlings of Nebbiolo-based wines. This wine had excellent depth of fruit, finely tuned acidity and impeccable balance. 2001 was an outstanding year for Barbaresco and Barolo – this Asili bottling from Ceretto should drink well for another decade.

For Barolo, we started with the 2005 Villero from Oddero, an excellent tradiitonal producer located near La Morra. There are several bottlings of Barolo produced each year at Oddero, this Villero has rich fruit, subtle oak and beautiful acidity. This is a very well made example of a 2005 Barolo; it is not a powerhouse, but rather a more subdued offering with excellent complexity. This is one of the treasures of Barolo like this in that it is not super ripe or forward, rather it displays its charms in a restrained way. This should be at its best in 12-15 years.

We finished with the 2001 La Serra Barolo from Gianni Voerzio. The brother of acclaimed Barolo producer, Roberto Voerzio, Gianni makes only this one Barolo each vintage, but deserves as much praise as his sibling in terms of quality. This 2001 bottling is particularly distinctive with great fruit concentration along with refined tannins and persistence in the finish. This is an impressive wine that seemed younger than its true age. This was one of the top two wines in the class; certainly this wine, from the great 2001 vintage, has 15-20 years of life ahead of it.

This was certainly a highlights version of great Italian reds, as no one can sum up this category with only a handful of wines. But the lineup did offer a look into the variety and outstanding quality offered in Italy today. While these wine types are among the world’s finest, you begin to realize that even at $60-$150 for some of these wines, they are worth it!

ADDENDA

 For those of you living in the Chicago area, do stop in to see Craig Perman at his wine store. While he does sell wines such as these, he specializes in lesser-known (and usually lesser expensive bottlings). So you’ll discover some excellent values from Italian regions such as Marche, Abruzzo and Liguria as well as some beautifully priced bottlings from Tuscany and Piemonte as well. And of course, simiilar wines from France, California, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, et al. Craig chooses wines that interest him and offer value – he’s an invaluable part of the Chicago wine scene and he’s become a trusted wine advisor to a lot of wine lovers in the area.

For those of you interested in being in the know about my future wine classes or wish to subscribe to my GUIDE TO ITALIAN WINES, please click here

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The Giamello Barbaresco was just one of the six fantastic Italian wines that we poured on Wednesday night at the Galleria Tennis and Athletic Club in Houston. Thanks again to the GTAC restaurant Verve and their excellent staff for making it an A+ tasting and event! For more info on GTAC food and wine events, please contact Verve events coordinator Lauren Hernandez.

Silvio Giamello 2005 Barbaresco Vicenziana, made from grapes in the Ovello cru of Barbaresco. Vicenziana is a named place (a lieu-dit, in French) in the cru and lies in the northernmost area of this famous growing site. Photo by Tracie B. The following post was originally published at Do Bianchi.

We depend so much today on the immediacy of the internet for information and today, more than ever, there is so much information available to consumers on wines, wineries, and wine prices — via blogging, chat rooms, bulletin boards, and subscription archives like WineSearcher and CellarTracker.

I was thoroughly impressed when I tasted the 2005 Barbaresco Vicenziana by Silvio Giamello the other day but deeply disappointed when my Google search for info about the wine proved fruitless. So I figured I’d do things the old-fashioned way: I decided to call Silvio and looked for his number at PagineBianche.it. But this dude’s not even in the phone book!

I finally found another Giamello who owned an azienda agricola (literally a farming estate or farming company) and called him in the hopes that they were relatives (there are a lot of Giamellos in Piedmont!). He didn’t have Silvio’s number but he gave me just enough geographical information to find the winery. Sheesh!

So here’s the story behind this wine…

The estate, Silvio told me, is called La Licenziana. It was planted to Nebbiolo and Dolcetto by Sivlio’s grandfather and it lies in the northernmost part of Barbaresco in Ovello (one of the famed Barbaresco crus), just a few rows in the western part of the cru, with south-eastern exposure. Silvio’s father used to bottle small amounts of the wine but sold most of the fruit to Langa négociants and also made some bulk wine. About ten years ago, Silvio decided to start bottling Barbaresco and when he researched the origins of his family’s growing site, he consulted municipal records and discovered that the name Licenziana was a dialectal corruption of Vicenziana. In antiquity, the estate was owned by a Roman noble named Lolio Vicenziano (I was able to find some info on Lolio but not much and I imagine his Latin name was Lollius, but I’ll have to get to the bottom of that later). According to Silvio, the estate was called Villa Gentiana in antiquity: villa means farmhouse in Latin and my hunch is that the designation gentiana might have been derived from gens, which means race, clan, or house, and often denotes Roman upper-class Roman citizens. In other words, it probably meant noble farmhouse. Somewhere along the way, Villa Gentiana became Vicenziana, according to Silvio.

I liked the wine so much that I bought a bottle and Tracie B and I drank it last night with a little sausage ragù that I made.

This wine was all earth, mushroomy and savory, my favorite style of Barbaresco, what I like to call “rustic.”

Silvio told me that he employs integrated farming practices and vinifies (no surprise here) in a traditional style (large old-oak cask aging).

His maximum production is around 5,000 bottles and he made roughly 3,000 of the 2005.

When I mentioned to him that there is very little info available about his wines on the internet, he said that he likes it that way: “I’m in no hurry to let people know about my wines,” he told me. It reminded of the story that Maria Teresa Mascarello told me about how her father, the legendary Bartolo, didn’t want a phone in their home. When the young Teresa complained, Bartolo finally relented and told her she could have a phone but it had to be registered in her name.

Silvio does have an email address and he promised to send me info on the 2009 harvest… but only when they’re done picking the grapes. I guess I’ll just have to wait!

Great wine, highly recommended for the pricepoint.

—Jeremy Parzen, Ph.D., Italian Wine Specialist, D’Amore Wine Selections

******

For more info on this wine, please contact Julio Hernandez, President, D’Amore Wine Selections, (512) 858-5480.

Silvio Giamello 2005 Barbaresco Vicenziana, made from grapes in the Ovello cru of Barbaresco. Vicenziana is a named place (a lieu-dit, in French) in the cru and lies in the northernmost area of this famous growing site. Photo by Tracie B.

We depend so much today on the immediacy of the internet for information and today, more than ever, there is so much information available to consumers on wines, wineries, and wine prices — via blogging, chat rooms, bulletin boards, and subscription archives like WineSearcher and CellarTracker.

I was thoroughly impressed when I tasted the 2005 Barbaresco Vicenziana by Silvio Giamello the other day but deeply disappointed when my Google search for info about the wine proved fruitless. So I figured I’d do things the old-fashioned way: I decided to call Silvio and looked for his number at PagineBianche.it. But this dude’s not even in the phone book!

I finally found another Giamello who owned an azienda agricola (literally a farming estate or farming company) and called him in the hopes that they were relatives (there are a lot of Giamellos in Piedmont!). He didn’t have Silvio’s number but he gave me just enough geographical information to find the winery. Sheesh!

So here’s the story behind this wine…

The estate, Silvio told me, is called La Licenziana. It was planted to Nebbiolo and Dolcetto by Sivlio’s grandfather and it lies in the northernmost part of Barbaresco in Ovello (one of the famed Barbaresco crus), just a few rows in the western part of the cru, with south-eastern exposure. Silvio’s father used to bottle small amounts of the wine but sold most of the fruit to Langa négociants and also made some bulk wine. About ten years ago, Silvio decided to start bottling Barbaresco and when he researched the origins of his family’s growing site, he consulted municipal records and discovered that the name Licenziana was a dialectal corruption of Vicenziana. In antiquity, the estate was owned by a Roman noble named Lolio Vicenziano (I was able to find some info on Lolio but not much and I imagine his Latin name was Lollius, but I’ll have to get to the bottom of that later). According to Silvio, the estate was called Villa Gentiana in antiquity: villa means farmhouse in Latin and my hunch is that the designation gentiana might have been derived from gens, which means race, clan, or house, and often denotes Roman upper-class Roman citizens. In other words, it probably meant noble farmhouse. Somewhere along the way, Villa Gentiana became Vicenziana, according to Silvio.

I liked the wine so much that I bought a bottle and Tracie B and I drank it last night with a little sausage ragù that I made.

This wine was all earth, mushroomy and savory, my favorite style of Barbaresco, what I like to call “rustic.”

Silvio told me that he employs integrated farming practices and vinifies (no surprise here) in a traditional style (large old-oak cask aging).

His maximum production is around 5,000 bottles and he made roughly 3,000 of the 2005.

When I mentioned to him that there is very little info available about his wines on the internet, he said that he likes it that way: “I’m in no hurry to let people know about my wines,” he told me. It reminded of the story that Maria Teresa Mascarello told me about how her father, the legendary Bartolo, didn’t want a phone in their home. When the young Teresa complained, Bartolo finally relented and told her she could have a phone but it had to be registered in her name.

Silvio does have an email address and he promised to send me info on the 2009 harvest… but only when they’re done picking the grapes. I guess I’ll just have to wait!

Great wine, highly recommended for the pricepoint.

I knew my group would be in for a major learning experience when I scheduled our visits in Barbaresco.  The first stop was Gaja, the most exclusive winery in the region, and the second a visit to Produttori di Barbaresco, the co-op that produces wines for a collective of 54 farmers.

Angelo Gaja has done more to put Piedmont on the map than anyone. He is an ambassador that has promoted these wines and this region for decades. His single-vineyard Barbarescos are extremely hard to find and command prices of over $300.

Gaja bought and renovated the Castello di Barbaresco. It is decorated with art commisioned from countries where the Gaja wines are most popular.

Alessandra Forlani, Gaja import director, showed us around the winery, which is joined to the Barbaresco castle, an incredible building which they have restored into an incredible wine tasting facility and art gallery.  Halfway through the tour, she took me aside and said that Angelo Gaja remembered me from last time, and would join us for the tasting. Turns out that Angelo is an avid cyclist, and rides some of the toughest hills in Piedmont!

Everyone was blown away by our tasting with Gaya. I put him up there with Piero Antinori and the late Robert Mondavi as someone with so much charisma that people who have contact with him are buzzing for days afterwards.

The Gaja operation is ultra-modern. Between the computerized winemaking facility, the use of all new barrique, and the blending of Barbera in the single vineyard Barbarescos (one of the reason Gaja gave back his DOCG status for these wines, although the official line is that he didn’t want them to show up his Barbaresco). We drank 2004 Sori Tildin, Barbaresco, and Sperss. The wines were lovely, and but there was something strange … with the dark extracted fruit and toasty oak finishes they reminded me more of high-end California cabernet than the lighter, elegant characteristics associated with Nebbiolo-based wines. No wonder Wine Advocate gave them 96 and 97 points … the WA loves toasty, extracted wine!

After a quick lunch we headed to Produttori di Barbaresco, just one block away from Gaja in the tiny town of Barbaresco. Aldo Vacca, the director of this cooperative, greeted us and announced that he first had to weigh in some grapes being dropped off by a farmer.

Maru kicked the farmer out of his tractor and jumped in!

The farmer holding Maru's purse while she has her picture taken

Produttori is a very traditional facility. Wine is fermented in cement tanks and aged in large barrels that are reused many times over (no new oak barrique here!) As my friend Jeremy Parzen would say, these wines are about expression of fruit. Or another way to put it: there are three G’s of winemaking: 1. the Grape, 2. the Ground and 3. the Guy [or Gal]. Although every producer gives lip service to prioritizing the first two, Produttori is one that actually does. 

Aldo showing us the cement fermentation tanks. No stainless steel here!

We drank the 2004 Nebbiolo and Barbaresco as well as some of the single vineyard selections (Rabaja and Pora). The Rabaja had a beautifully perfumed nose and flavors of deep cherry and licorice. It is a rich wine but it still reflects Barbaresco elegance. Even the lower end wines were lovely, especially in this great vintage. Produttori wines have some of the best Quality-to-Price (QPR) ratios in the world. Not that I have a lot of respect for the Wine Advocate, but just to illustrate, they gave the Rabaja 95 points, and the other single vineyard bottlings (priced $40-$50), 92-94 points. Compared to Gaja Sori Tilden at $300 a bottle, I know which I’d choose!

This is all a testament to Aldo Vacca, who has been running the facility for over 30 years. There are wine cooperatives all over Europe, but this is arguably the best. The farmers who participate are lucky to have Aldo at the helm, and those of us that drink Produttori are lucky to be able to drink his readily-available reasonably- priced wines.

Next Post: Gattinar and Ghemme

Here is what I won’t be doing this fall:

I won’t be drinking 06 Barbaresco, or serving it by the glass. Sure, it’s fresh out of customs, and that’s all fine and good, but I’m not certain you or I(the consumer) could taste half of what makes this Piemontese cornerstone-wine so revered, so young.

And so I ask, what’s the point? I know it’s a great vintage, and I’m aware that the price is right, but i’m just now working through 03 Barbaresco, specifically Musso’s “Rio Sordo.” It’s one of my favorite areas in Barbaresco, which lays south in the town of Barbaresco near Treiso.

While we’re on the subject of Piemonte, let’s all pay our respects to the French enologist Louis Oudart, who in the 1850s inspired winemakers to age Nebbiolo, a grape he saw as worthy as some prominent Bordeaux blends at the time. What a maverick…

All hail Monsieur Oudart!

(NM) Dieses mal ließen wir es uns richtig gut gehen: Wir luden den ungemein sympatischen & erfolgreichen Sommelier Pietro D’Alto ein (bester Deutscher Sommelier 2007 & Gewinner der Deutschen Weindegustation 2007) , uns einmal ein Teil des überaus erfolgreichen Weinguts “La Spinetta” aus dem Piemont vorzustellen.

Giorgio Rivetti (Chef Winemaker bei La Spinetta) ist einer der ganz großen Namen im Piemont. Er kommt aus dem Astigiano, welshalb sein “Hauswein” der Moscato d´Asti ist. Seit einigen Jahren konzentriert er sich aber mehr und mehr auf Rotweine. Sein erster großer Wurf war der La Spinetta “Pin”, ein im Barrique ausgebauter Mischsatz aus Barbera und Nebbiolo. Darauf konzentrierte sich Rivetti auf den Barbaresco. Drei wahrhaft große Weine aus drei unterschiedlichen Cru-Lagen entstanden so: der La Spinetta Gallina Vursu, der La Spinetta Starderi Vursu und der La Spinetta Valeirano Vursu. Auf den Etiketten ist ein Rhinozeros von Dürer zu erkennen, um klar zu machen, dass sein Barbaresco ein Wein voll ursprünglicher Kraft und Tiefe ist. Es war klar, dass Giorgio den Barolo nicht auslassen würde. 2000 kaufte er weitere Weinberge und baute bei Grinzane Cavour eine neue Kellerei, die er “Campè della Spinetta” nannte. Von dort kommt sein Barolo Vursu Campé. Ein Wein von seltener Dichte und Konzentration. Auch nachdem der Barolo erobert wurde, schaute sich Giogio noch weiter in Italien um, und erwarb 2001 Weinberge in der Toscana und gründete das Tochterweingut La Spinetta “Casanova”.

Folgende Weine des Hauses La Spinetta liesen wird uns die Kehle herunter laufen:

2006 La Spinetta Barbera D’Asti “Ca’ Di Pian”
2002 La Spinetta Cocito Langhe Nebiolo
2006 La Spinetta Langhe Nebiolo
2005 La Spinetta Il Gentile di Casanova
2006 La Spinetta Il Nero di Casanova
2005 La Spinetta Barbaresco “Vigneto Valeirano”

Der absolute WoW-Wein des gesammten Abends war der Barbaresco “Vigneto Valeirano”! Welche eine Tiefe und Ausdruck der Wein hatte! Weißer Trüffel, getrocknete Gewürze, Töne von Pilzen und grandiosen reifen Brombeeren & Himbeeren, im Finale eine tolle Combo aus feinster “Gewürz” Schokolade (?) und Trüffeln. Ein großartiges Weinerlebnis! Aber auch der Il Gentile di Casanova war sehr viel Wein fürs Geld! Mir persönlich gefiehl der 2002 La Spinetta Cocito Langhe Nebiolo auch noch ausgesprochen gut, der durch tolle, reife Erdbeer & Himbeer Töne zusammen mit einer feinen Würze überzeugen konnte.

Weiterhin haben wir uns noch mit folgenden Weinen vergnügt:

2006 Clüsserath-Weiler Riesling Brut
1990 Castello Di Volpaia “Balifico”
1997 Feslina Fontalloro IGT
2001 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Riserva
1982 Sauternes (unbekannt, Etikettenschaden)

Der Balifico war wunderbar gereift, muss jetzt aber doch so langsam ausgetrunken werden. Der Fontalloro & vorallem der Taurasi Riserva zeigte am Anfang noch fast jugendliche Tannine & Frische. Beides große Wein! … Mal wieder ein ganz toller Abend in der altbekannten Runde!

Webpräsenz Weingut La Spinetta

It was back in February when I met with Richard and Ann Opper, a couple who asked me to put a bike and wine trip together for them and their friends. They said it could be in any wine region, my choice, and that the biking should be challenging, but not ridiculously hard. It took me all of a minute to come up with the Piedmont region of Italy. It is incredibly beautiful, I love the wines (Barlo, Barbaresco, Barbera) and the hills are more difficult than Tuscany, but not as crazy as the Dolomites.

My good friend Maru Davilla decided to join the trip just one week before we left. This is a typical view … it was like this the entire week!

I looked into several bike tour outfitters and settled on Dreamtrips, a small company out of Acqui Terme. Their website leaves a little to be desired, but they are experts in this region, and very flexible about customizing a trip to a client’s needs. There are many “gotchas” that can happen with local bike outfitters, and I’ve run into them all:

• overused or cheap bicyles in need of a tune-up (especially at the end of the season)
• absolutely no personal service on the trip (many just have taxis move the baggage from hotel to hotel)
• poorly translated route sheets full of mistakes (directions must constantly be updated as the Europeans are always reconstructing and redirecting their roads.) 

Lorenzo and Richard singing at the farmhouse. Man, the Italians LOVE karaoke!

By going self-guided, we paid about half as much as a comparable trip with one of the large U.S. companies and guides.  Dreamtrips did a fabulous job: the routes were beautiful and avoided the traffic found on the busier roads. Lorenzo, the owner-manager, met up with us several times on the trip. One night he drove us to the vineyard-farmhouse of a friend where we had a fabulous meal and drank their wines, which were outstanding. We felt guilty paying only 30 euro a person after such a bacchanalian feast!

If you are considering going with a local outfitter, please do your homework! My website www.BikeTourReview.com can be of help.

There was about 2,000 meters of climbing each day, but the fabulous views and the fun long downhills made it all worth it.

Riding through Alba, where they have the white truffle festival every year

The views in Piemonte are even more beautiful than Tuscany. Each hillside is covered in vineyards growing Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo, the three main grapes of the region.

Typical lunch stop along  the way. Richard and Anne in the back, Amy Wallen on the left. Her best-selling novel Moonpies and Movie Stars is a very fun romp about a roadtrip from Texas to Hollywoood. Amy’s retelling of the events of each day were hilarious (let’s just say she has a very active imagination

Amy’s partner, Eber Lambert, after a major wipeout on the second day. He was a trooper and still rode strong, never passing up a castle (even if it was a major ride uphill). He is Adam Lambert’s father, and was probably happy to have an entire week where no one talked about his son’s stint on American Idol.

Anne Regier and Robert Takacs are docs from Kansas City. The Annes have known each other since high school, and the two couples have biked through many regions together.

Next post: Winery visits in Barolo and Barbaresco

“Unpacking My Library” is the title of one of Walter Benjamin’s most famous essays. On the surface, it is an entertaining essay about a harmless self-indulgence of one of Europe’s leading literary minds between the two world wars. But the underlying text is a study of the nature of book collecting and how our understanding of literature and culture is shaped through the very medium by which they are transmitted to us. Ecce textual bibliography and the study of how the medium (the signifier) affects the meaning (the signified).

Walter Benjamin famously “fished for pearls” in his legendary library. The depression that he suffered when he fled from the Nazis and was separated from his precious books is as tragic as his senseless death by suicide on the Spanish-French border in 1940 — a day away from freedom.

I’m no Walter Benjamin (by no means) and I am blessed to live in a time and place of relative prosperity and stability and freedom of thought and speech.

Yesterday, after two years of separation, Tracie B and I began unpacking my library after it arrived from my storage space in Manhattan here in my new home, Austin, Texas.

I cannot tell you my joy at being reunited with my Petrarchs, my Pasolinis, my Benjamins, my dictionaries (my Goldoni dictionary edited by Gianfranco Folena! my Cortelazzo etymologic dictionary!), and my countless tomes on food and wine.

There is so much information available today on the internet and the Google Library project is a promising if controversial initiative. But… books, books! Nothing can take the place of these glorious little information-delivery machines!

And the dulcis in fundo was a little sedicesimo of poems and songs on wine written in Neapolitan dialect. My lovely Tracie B curled up on the couch as I continued to unpack and read me sweet rhymes on wine with her soothing Neapolitan cadence. Today, she shared some of our Sunday afternoon with a translation of one of the poems on her blog.

To celebrate last night, we ordered pizza (please don’t tell Franco, but we were beat after a day of unpacking!) and drank a bottle of 2001 Barbaresco Pora by Produttori del Barbaresco (I picked it up for a song in a closeout sale here in Austin). The wine was rich and almost Barolo-like in its power, unusual for Pora which is generally softer and rounder among the Produttori del Barbaresco crus. The 2001 — a great vintage for this wine — is closing up right now and I’m putting my two remaining bottles away, to be revisited in a few years and maybe more.

Pondering my copy of Benjamin’s Reflections which now lives happily again on my desk, I couldn’t help but think of Pora and Barbaresco as a terroir and a text, a text delivered to our palates via the medium of Nebbiolo.

Tonight, I won’t bore Tracie B with my collection of essays on the history of punctuation or my introduction to old Occitan. She’s promised to make me something out of the cookbook by nineteenth-century Neapolitan noble Ippolito Cavalcanti! Something having to do with escarole, eggs, and Parmigiano Reggiano… mmmmmmmm…

Happy Labor Day, y’all!

Un week end, tre manifestazioni: la Festa del Verduno Pelaverga 2009, Degusta La Morra e Piacere Barbaresco

In più, un buono valido per la prenotazione di un’escursione in mongolfiera sulle colline delle Langhe: volando nei giorni della manifestazione o successivi pagherete soltanto 180€ al termine dell’escursione*

Venerdì 04 settembre 2009

21.30 Mojito Party a La Morra, per i clienti di Stile DiVino, primo Mojito gratis

Sabato 05 settembre 2009

14.00 visite nelle cantine con degustazione

18.00 spettacolo teatrale a cura del Teatro delle forme: Veglia d’Amore e di vino. Annata 2003 storia di una vigna

20.00 degustazione gratuita per i clienti di StileDiVino della nuova annata di Verduno Pelaverga, con cena a cura dei ristoranti locali a base di prodotti tipici presso il Belvedere

Domenica 06 settembre 2009

Verduno è servito: nei ristoranti di Verduno menù a prezzo fisso con i diversi Pelaverga compresi

14.00 Degusta La Morra: oltre 40 produttori, degustazione gratuita per i clienti di Stile DiVino

Lunedì 07 settembre 2009

10.00-16.00 a Treiso, Piacere Barbaresco: degustazioni libere dei Barbaresco DOCG 2006 e 2005, sconto di 5€ ai clienti di Stile DiVino

40€ a persona per degustazioni e volo

uno, due o tre pernottamenti

a partire da 40€ a notte

* : 180€ è il prezzo a persona per le escursioni di gruppi maggiori di tre persone, le escursioni scontate per due passeggeri costano 210€ a persona.

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